Zappa, Frank

The eternal innovator and visionary Frank was never keen on 'best of' projects, and the release of the compilation "Mothermania" was no different: he did it purely to fulfill his contractual obligation to his label at the time, Verve.

The original mix of the concept doo-wop burlesque "Cruising with Ruben & the Jets" is still one of the most interesting albums from Frank's early period, even if artistically it doesn't reach the adventurous, provocative masterpieces…

Every saga, no matter how sprawling, comes to an end sooner or later. The posthumous project "Dance Me This" is the final studio album from the great Frank Zappa.

It's very hard, really impossible, to pick the best instrumental album in Frank Zappa's astonishingly varied and prolific career, but "Jazz From Hell" earned its cult status mainly because one single man played pieces that would give plenty…

»Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers of Prevention« contains content that a 'truly free society would never fear or persecute' and a guarantee that 'the lyrics will not cause eternal suffering in the place where the guy with the horns and the…

Compared with certain masterpieces from his past, »Thing-Fish« wasn't exactly a peak of musical innovation, since the original versions of many of the album's songs had already been heard before. On the other hand, Frank's relentless habit…

»Them Or Us« is a great cross-section of Frank's creative output from the period before his interest in electric guitar duels slowly began to fade and he started favoring jazz fusion, classical and even computer music.

Of everything Frank ever put out, "Francesco Zappa" is by far the safest bet for the ears of your average 'Sunday lunch' Slovenian family, including grandma and grandpa, who would have called the cops years ago if you'd blasted literally…

"The Perfect Stranger" ranks among Frank's most accomplished orchestral works, with traditional strings and woodwinds colliding with the Synclavier to create a gorgeous classical-electronic fusion.

»The Man From Utopia« is stuffed with Zappa classics that are forever etched into the hearts of every true 'Zappaholic' and whose titles alone make it crystal clear what this record is about.

"Baby Snakes" nails the essence of Frank's 1977 backing band, led by the incorrigible drumming "devil" Terry Bozzio.

"Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch" is yet another Zappa classic, or rather yet another in the string of the artist's masterpieces, and as such it long ago became a must-have piece of furniture for every music gourmet.

"You Are What You Is" is yet another timeless Zappa masterpiece, on which the legendary composer and satirist outdid himself, swinging his merciless hammer at every pore of modern American society.

»Tinseltown Rebellion« is one of Frank's best live documents. It vividly captures the boundless energy, untamable wit and technical perfectionism his touring bands were known for between 1979 and 1980.

"Joe's Garage" is a concept album and a work of art that still riles up every conservative bigwig obsessed with the idea that censorship is the best fix for anyone who refuses to speak the same language.

"Orchestral Favorites" is stuffed with gorgeous orchestral compositions that buckle under the weight of that unmistakable Zappa humor, the kind only a brilliant composer who lived to keep making art non-stop could conjure up.

»Sheik Yerbouti« is, in every respect, yet another timeless masterpiece from Frank's one-of-a-kind compositional genius, and through the prism of his unique spin on comedic progressive rock, it has reached cult status worldwide.

"Sleep Dirt", the album that was meant to be "Hot Rats III", is a treat for anyone into experimental rock and jazz rock fusion, delivered at the usual enviable instrumental and compositional level, despite all the needless and tactless…

The best proof of how good this album is? It's a real treat for anyone who loves "Hot Rats" and the other jazz rock fusion masterpieces cut from the same cloth.

"Zoot Allures" isn't without its flaws (it could easily have done without those bedroom recordings), but it's still a remarkably well-balanced piece of work that delivers plenty of fun moments of unique Zappa comedy rock.

Every devoted fan of both musicians will no doubt have "Bongo Fury" in their collection, and the record is also a highly recommended appetizer for anyone not yet well acquainted with their legacy.

"One Size Fits All" easily belongs in the elite circle of Frank's best work. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Zappa devotee who wouldn't put it among their ten favorite albums of Frank's career.

One night in 1974, Frank sank into an utterly bizarre dream (which begs the question of whether a musical and all-around oddball of his caliber could even dream any other kind of dream) about an unusual encounter

»Over-Nite Sensation« was yet another in a long line of dramatic stylistic about-faces in Frank's incredibly rich and turbulent career, setting a new milestone in the invention of specific and inimitable

"The Grand Wazoo" was, true to its name, a grand album, if not one of the most majestic pearls of Frank's entire career, which, given how varied that career is, is no small feat. Just like its no less excellent

In 1972, after a disastrous end to a tour and the breakup of his backing band The Mothers (originally The Mothers Of Invention), Frank Zappa, genius composer, guitarist, director, satirist and a whole lot more, started gathering fresh…

"Weasels Ripped My Flesh" was, after "Burnt Weeny Sandwich" (1970), the second of two posthumous releases Frank recorded with the original lineup of his backing band The Mothers Of Invention, which in the minds of

"Burnt Weeny Sandwich" was the first of two posthumous albums released after the breakup of Frank's original backing band The Mothers Of Invention (the other was "Weasels Ripped My Flesh", which also came out that same year).

With "Chunga's Revenge," maestro Frank strode decisively into the 70s and a creative era that splits his many followers into those who count it as his most prolific and those who argue exactly the opposite and s

Frank Zappa, the legendary composer, guitarist, singer, director, satirist and later public enemy No. 1 of every two-faced guardian of American public morals, tossed hot rats into his bubbling cauldron of musical ingredients in the late…

"Uncle Meat" is the peak of Frank's satirical avant-garde experiments with the first incarnation of his backing band The Mothers Of Invention, which he broke up just a few months after this album came out. Most of the stuff

»Lumpy Gravy« is the first album Frank recorded under just his own (full) name, i.e. as Frank Vincent Zappa, and the first one without his then backing band, The Mothers Of Invention. The only two of its members who appear on the album as

Frank's third album, "We're Only In It For The Money", is without a doubt one of his most notorious works, ranking among the best and most provocative masterpieces by a sly artist who spent most of his music mocking the social reality of…

"Absolutely Free" is the second album from the legendary Frank Zappa: brilliant composer, excellent guitarist, occasional singer, social satirist, director and a whole lot more. After the release of his first

Before the unhinged composer Frank Zappa hit the music scene in the mid-60s with his no less offbeat but brilliant backing band The Mothers Of Invention, rock music (still called rock'n'roll back then) was, among most of the music community…